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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chair — a leader
  8. charge — in control
  9. spring — of water
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spring — the season
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pound — a weight
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. last — to go on
  18. chip — to eat
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pass — a permit
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chip — for betting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com